Combined railway-tie and rail-clamp.



J. F. HAWLEY.

COMBINED RAILWAY TIE AND RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10. 1914.

Patented Apr. 6,1915.

V {a 1/ gmh m K L a vj mm 5- 1 2 f a 6 THE NORRIS PETERS C0,.PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. c.

0 atiouuugs UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN F. HAWLEY, OF CHILLICOTHE, MISSOURI.

COMBINED RAILWAY-TIE AND RAIL-CLAMP.

Application filed November 10, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. HAWLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chillicothe, in the county of Livingston and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CombinedRailway-Ties and RaiLClamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in acombined railway tie and rail clamp and has as its primary object toprovide an improved construction wherein the tie will be formed of metalor of a suitable composition and wherein the rails may be readilyattached to the tie to be firmly held in position thereon.

The invention has as a further object to provide an improvedconstruction of the character referred to, wherein the use of spikes orother similar fastening devices will be eliminated and wherein the railsmay be resiliently gripped in position upon the tie to consequentlycombine the yielding qualities of such a connection in a thoroughlyefficient fastening means.

A further object of the invention, in this connection, is to provide animproved construction wherein the rails will be rigidly supportedagainst movement in one direction and will be yieldably supported forrelatively limited movement in the opposite direction. And a stillfurther object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicientform of clamping means for connecting the rails with the tie and whereinthe said clamping means may be readily attached to or detached from thetie.

With these and other objects in View, my invention will be more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and thenspecifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form apart of this application.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved railwaytie and rail clamp, showing the rails in position upon the tie; Fig. 2is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, showing the arrangement ofthe clamping members employed; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view,particularly illustrating the disposition of the terminal guide lipscarried by the clamping members; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one ofthe clamping members detached and illustrating the parts thereofdisassembled but in proper relative position; Fig. 5 is a frag-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915. Serial No. 871,359.

mentary sectional view of a slightly modified form of clamping member.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in thedrawing, the body portion of my improved tie is indicated at 10. The tieis preferably formed of metal, although, it is to be understood that anyother suitable material may be employed and is preferably of hollowconstruction, being longitudinally recessed or channeled upon one sideto provide side walls 11 which are formed with outwardly divergingconfronting faces 12, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing,the inner faces of the said side walls intersecting the 'outer facesthereof at the outer extremities of said walls to provide relativelysharp terminal edges disposed to engage within a road bed.

By this arrangement, it will be observed that the tie is disposed toseat firmly within the road bed and is so formedas to counteract anytendency of the tie to creep.

Formed on each end of the tie and connecting the side walls 11 thereof,are transversely extending webs 13 which provide anchors for theclamping members employed, which will be presently described. In thisconnection, it is desired to state that, although I have shown the webs13 as an integral part of the body portion of the tie, still, it is tobe understood that I do not wish to limit myself to this construction asthe said anchors may be detachably connected to the tie to bear over theends of the side walls thereof, in a manner which will be readilyunderstood.

Arranged upon the upper face of the tie, adjacent the oppositeextremities thereof, are confronting upstanding abutments 14:, which maybe integrally formed with the tie and which are provided withlongitudinal projecting and inwardly extending lips 15 disposed toengage over the base flange of ach of the rails, conventionally shown at16.

Formed in the upper wall of the tie and inwardly spaced from theabutments 14, are suitable openings 17 which, as best illustrated inFig. 1 of the drawing, are preferably rectangular in contour andcommunicating at one end with each of said openings, is a longitudinallyextending slot 18.

Co-acting with the abutments 14 and arclamping members, indicated as awhole by the numeral 19. More particularly, each of said members ispreferably formed of suit-V able resilient material and includes a-bodyportion upon one side of which is formed a reduced shank 21, the saidshank terminating, at its outer extremity, in an elongated transverselyextending head 22, the headf22 being disposed at an angle to the shankand arranged to bear over the base flange of the rail 16 opposite theadjacent abutment i l. The body portion 20 is provided with an opening.23 medially thereof and upon its; side opposite the shank 21 is formed ater minal guide lip 24:- As illustrated, in the drawing, the guide lip2a is preferably in:

} tegral with the bodyportion 20 and extends spring 28 laterally uponone side thereof with its outer extremity disposedv in a horizontalplane the opening 23. However, in Figs. 2 and 3 of the draw-. ing, theouter extremity of the guide lip is passing through as illustratedpreferably in substantial alinement with the adjacent. side of theopen-ing 23.

The clamping members '19 are detachably v arranged connected with thetie and are thereon with the shanks 21 through the openings 17 and with22 projecting exteriorly the tie.

observed that the openings 17 are of such width that the side wallsthereof will engage the side edges of the shanks 21 to come extendingthe heads quently support the clamping members laterally. In connectingthe clamping members with the tie, the said members are inserted withinthe openings 17 and slots 18 from within the tie, the said members beingturned so'that the heads 22 thereof will readily pass through the saidslots and open: ings, as will be clearly understood, lhe clampingmembers may, accordingly, be at tached to or detached from the tie, asdesired. When the rails are not present the clamping; members will,under ordinary circumstances, be prevented from becoming detached fromthe tie, since the heads 22 of the said members will normally bedisposed transversely of the openings 17.

Engaging the clamping members 19 and detachably connecting the saidmembers-with,

the anchors 13, are suitable rods 25. Each of the rods 25 is passedthrough the opening 28 of. the adjacent clamping member and looselythrough a suitable bore formed in the contiguous anchor, as best shownin Fig. 2 of the drawing, the said rods being each pro.- vided with aterminal head;26,and" being screw threaded adjacent its oppositeextremity toreceive a nut 27. I

Surrounding each of the rods 25. and interposed between the head 26thereof and the adjacent clamping member, isa helical; which bears atone end against a suitable washer 29 loosely mountedupon. the

ment of the said rods.

It will be the body portion 20 of each of said clamping members atsubstantially right angles to the rods so that, at all times, therodsmay slide freely through the openings 23. This. is a very importantfeature of the present invention since, were the guide lips 24; notpresent, the body portions of the clamping members, upon a tighteningofthe rods 25,, would movev into such, angular relation to therodsjvasto cause the walls of the epenings23 to;

bite intothe rodsupon opposite sides there of and, consequently, preventproper adj ust- From the preceding description, it will be seen that thetension of the clamping members19, upon the rails 16,, may be readilyregulated, by properly adjusting the nuts- 27f of the rods 25 and that,while the rails 16 are rigidly held against movement one direction theabutments 1 1,,they are yieldably supported for movement in the oppositedirection by the-clamping members 19. How-. ever, it should be stated inthis connection; that such inward movement of the rails, against thetension of the springs. 28, will be inappreciable, the main objectattained being that of yieldably connecting the rods. 25 with theclamping members. It will further be seen that the rod-s25- may be;readily removed, when desired, toeffect the displacement of theclamp-ing members 19 and that, as previously set forth, theclamp ingmembers 19 may be disconnected from the body of the tie itself, whendesired,

In Fig. 5 of the drawing, I have illus trated a slight modification ofthe invention, wherein yieldable washers 3 0 are interposed 7 betweenthe head 26 of; each of the rods and the body portion 20 of the adjacentclamp-v ing member, the said washers taking the place of the springs 28employed in thepre' ferred form of the invention and serving a similarfunction. Any desired number of vi dedT-wi-th an; abutment and. formedtore ceive a clamping member, an: anchoring member carried byth bodyportion, a.

clamping member carried by the tie and disposed to co-act with saidabutment in engaging a rail, means passing through the clamping memberand operatively connecting the said member with the anchoring member,and means carried by the clamping member and engaging said first mentioned means for maintaining the clamping member at its point ofintersection with said first mentioned means, at substantially rightangles thereto.

2. In a device of the character described, a railway tie including abody portion provided with an abutment and formed to receive a clampingmember, an anchoring member carried by the body portion, a clampingmember carried by the tie and disposed to co-act with said abutment inengaging a rail, said clamping member including a body portion, meanspassing through the body portion of the clamping member and operativelyconnecting said member with the anchoring member, and means carried bythe body portion of the clamping member and engaging said firstmentioned means for maintaining the body portion of the clamping memberat substantially right angles to the said first men tioned means.

3. In a device of the character described, a railway tie including abody portion provided with an abutment and formed to receive a clampingmember, an anchoring member carried by the body portion, a clampingmember carried by the tie and disposed to co-act with said abutment inengaging a rail, said clamping member including a body portion aperturedto receive a rod, a rod passing through said aperture and operativelyconnecting the clamping member with said anchoring member, and a guidelip formed on the body portion of the clamping member and engaging therod for maintaining the body portion at substantially right anglesthereto.

4. In a device of the character described, a railway tie including abody portion provided with an abutment and formed to receive a clampingmember, an anchoring member carried by the body portion, a clampingmember carried by the tie and disposed to co-act with said abutment inengaging a rail, means slidably connected with said clamping member andoperatively connecting the said member with the anchoring member, andmeans carried by the clamping member and slidably engaging said firstmentioned means for maintaining the clamping member at its point ofintersection with said first mentioned means, at substantially rightangles thereto.

5. In a device of the character described, a railway tie including abody portion provided with an abutment and having an opening formedtherein disposed to receive a clamping member, an anchoring membercarried by said body portion, a clamping member detachably engaging insaid opening and including a body portion having a reduced shank formedthereon extending through the opening and provided with a terminal headdisposed to co-act with said abutment in engaging a rail, said bodyportion being apertured to receive a rod and having a guide lip formedthereon projecting laterally upon one side of the body portion andterminating, at its outer extremity, in a plane passing through the saidaperture, a rod passing through said aperture and engaged upon one sideby said guide lip, said rod operatively connecting the clamping memberwith said anchoring member and being provided with a head, and resilientmeans surrounding the rod and bearing between the head thereof and thebody portion of the clamping member.

6. In a device of the character described, a railway tie including abody portion recessed upon one side and formed to receive a clampingmember, the said body portion being also provided with an abutment, ananchoring member carried by the body portion, a clamping member arrangedupon the tie and projecting into said recess, said clamping member beingdisposed to co-act with said abutment in engaging a rail, and adjustablemeans yieldably connecting the clamping member with said anchoringmember and disposed in said recess.

7. In a device of the character described a railway tie including a bodyportion provided with an abutment and formed to receive a rail clamp, ananchoring member carried by the body portion, a clamping member carriedby the body portion and disposed to coact with the said abutment inengaging a rail, means connecting the clamping member with the anchoringmember, and a guide lug carried by said clamping member and operativelyengaging said means.

8. In a device of the character described, a railway tie including abody portion provided with an abutment and formed to receive a railclamp, an anchoring member carried by the body portion, a clampingmember carried by the body portion and disposed to coact with the saidabutment in engaging a rail, means connecting the clamping member withthe anchoring member, and means carried by the clamping member andoperatively engaging said first mentioned means to provide a guide forthe clamping member.

9. In a device of the character described, a railway tie including abody portion provided with an abutment and formed to receive a railclamp, an anchoring member carried by the body portion, a clampingmember carried by the body portion and disposed to coact with the saidabutment in carried by the clamping member and freely engaging saidmeans.

10. In a device 01": the character described, a railway tie including abody portion pro- 7 Vided with an abutment and formed to receive a railclamp, an anchoring member carried by the body portion, a clampingmember carried by the body portion and disposed to coact with the saidabutment in peoplesof this patent may be obtained fonfive cents each; byaddressing the Commissioner o! Patents,

111g member with said anchoring member,

yieldable' means bearing between the rod and the clamping member, and aguide lug formed on the clamping member and opera; tively engaging therod.

In testimony whereofI affix inpresence of two witnesses.

' JOHN'F. HAWLEY, [a s.]

Witnesses: v i

A. J. WHITE,

D. WANAMAKER;

Washington). G.--

my signature

